4. Long-term Debt and Short-term Borrowings

Notes payable and long-term debt, listed in order of their security interests, consisted of the following as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:



(in millions of dollars)	2017		2016
Euro Senior Secured Term Loan A, due January 2022 (floating interest rate of 1.50% at December 31, 2017)	$	345.0	$	—
U.S. Dollar Senior Secured Term Loan A, due April 2020 (floating interest rate of 2.27% at December 31, 2016)	—		81.0
Australian Dollar Senior Secured Term Loan A, due January 2022 (floating interest rate of 3.29% at December 31, 2017)	60.0		—
Australian Dollar Senior Secured Term Loan A, due April 2020 (floating interest rate of 3.25% at December 31, 2016)	—		70.3
U.S. Dollar Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, due January 2022 (floating interest rate of 3.53% at December 31, 2017)	48.9		—
U.S. Dollar Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, due April 2020 (floating interest rate of 2.59% at December 31, 2016)	—		63.7
Australian Dollar Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, due January 2022 (floating interest rate of 3.28% at December 31, 2017)	85.0		—
Australian Dollar Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, due April 2020 (floating interest rate of 3.27% at December 31, 2016)	—		87.9
Senior Unsecured Notes, due December 2024 (fixed interest rate of 5.25%)	400.0		400.0
Other borrowings	0.6		0.6
Total debt	939.5		703.5
Less:
Current portion	43.2		68.5
Debt issuance costs, unamortized	7.1		7.3
Long-term debt, net	$	889.2	$	627.7

Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

In connection with the Esselte Acquisition, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "2017 Credit Agreement"), dated as of January 27, 2017, among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other agents and various lenders party thereto. The 2017 Credit Agreement amended and restated the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated April 28, 2015, as amended, among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2015 Credit Agreement").

The 2017 Credit Agreement provides for a five-year senior secured credit facility, which consists of a €300.0 million (US$320.8 million based on January 27, 2017 exchange rates) term loan facility (the "Euro Term Loan A"), a A$80.0 million (US$60.4 million based on January 27, 2017 exchange rates) term loan facility (the "AUD Term Loan A" and, together with the Euro Term Loan A, the "2017 Term A Loan Facility"), and a US$400.0 million multi-currency revolving credit facility (the "2017 Revolving Facility").

Maturity and Amortization

Borrowings under the 2017 Revolving Facility and the 2017 Term A Loan Facility mature on January 27, 2022. Amounts under the 2017 Revolving Facility are non-amortizing. Beginning June 30, 2017, the outstanding principal amounts under the 2017 Term A Loan Facility are payable in quarterly installments in an amount representing, on an annual basis, 5.0% of the initial aggregate principal amount of such loan facility and increasing to 12.5% on an annual basis by June 30, 2020.

Interest Rates

Amounts outstanding under the 2017 Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Euro Rate with a 0% floor, the Australian BBSR Rate, the Canadian BA Rate or the Base Rate, as applicable and as each such rate is defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement, plus an "applicable rate." The applicable rate applied to outstanding Euro, Australian and Canadian dollar denominated loans and Base Rate loans is based on the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement) as follows:



Consolidated Leverage Ratio	Applicable Rate on Euro/AUD/CDN Dollar Loans	Applicable Rate on Base Rate Loans
> 4.00 to 1.00	2.50%	1.50%
≤ 4.00 to 1.00 and > 3.50 to 1.00	2.25%	1.25%
≤ 3.50 to 1.00 and > 3.00 to 1.00	2.00%	1.00%
≤ 3.00 to 1.00 and > 2.00 to 1.00	1.50%	0.50%
≤ 2.00 to 1.00	1.25%	0.25%

As of December 31, 2017, the applicable rate on Euro, Australian and Canadian dollar loans was 1.50% and the applicable rate on Base Rate loans was 0.50%. Undrawn amounts under the 2017 Revolving Facility are subject to a commitment fee rate of 0.25% to 0.40% per annum, depending on the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio. As of December 31, 2017, the commitment fee rate was 0.30%.

Prepayments

Subject to certain conditions and specific exceptions, the 2017 Credit Agreement requires the Company to prepay outstanding amounts under the 2017 Credit Agreement under various circumstances, including (a) if sales or dispositions of certain property or assets in any fiscal year result in the receipt of net cash proceeds of $12.0 million, then an amount equal to 100% of the net cash proceeds received in excess of such $12.0 million, and (b) with respect to the AUD Term Loan A, in an amount equal to 100% of the net cash proceeds received from the disposition of any real property located in Australia. The Company also would be required to make prepayments in the event it receives proceeds related to certain property insurance or condemnation awards, from additional debt other than debt permitted under the 2017 Credit Agreement and from excess cash flow as determined under the 2017 Credit Agreement. The 2017 Credit Agreement also contains other customary prepayment obligations and provides for voluntary commitment reductions and prepayment of loans, subject to certain conditions and exceptions.

Dividends and Share Repurchases

Under the 2017 Credit Agreement, the Company may pay dividends and/or repurchase shares in an aggregate amount not to exceed the sum of: (i) the greater of $30.0 million and 1% of the Company’s Consolidated Total Assets (as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement); plus (ii) an additional amount not to exceed $75.0 million in any fiscal year (provided the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio after giving pro forma effect to the restricted payment would be greater than 2.50:1.00 and less than or equal to 3.75:1.00); plus (iii) an additional amount so long as the Consolidated Leverage Ratio after giving pro forma effect to the restricted payment would be less than or equal to 2.50:1.00; plus (iv) any Net Equity Proceeds (as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement).

Financial Covenants

The Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter may not exceed 3.75:1.00; provided that following the consummation of a Material Acquisition (as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement), and as of the end of the fiscal quarter in which such Material Acquisition occurred and as of the end of the three fiscal quarters thereafter, the maximum Consolidated Leverage Ratio level above will increase by 0.50 :1.00, provided that no more than one such increase can be in effect at any time. The Esselte Acquisition qualified as a Material Acquisition under the 2017 Credit Agreement.

The 2017 Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain a Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement) as of the end of any fiscal quarter at or above 1.25 to 1.00.

As of December 31, 2017, our Consolidated Leverage Ratio was approximately 2.6 to 1 and our Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio was approximately 5.3 to 1.

Other Covenants and Restrictions

The 2017 Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants as well as events of default, including payment defaults, breach of representations and warranties, covenant defaults, cross-defaults, certain bankruptcy or insolvency events, certain ERISA-related events, changes in control or ownership and invalidity of any loan document. The 2017 Credit Agreement also establishes limitations on the aggregate amount of Permitted Acquisitions and Investments (each as defined in the 2017 Credit Agreement) that the Company and its subsidiaries may make during the term of the 2017 Credit Agreement.

Guarantees and Security

Generally, obligations under the 2017 Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain of the Company’s existing and future subsidiaries, and are secured by substantially all of the Company’s and certain guarantor subsidiaries’ assets, subject to certain exclusions and limitations.

Incremental Facilities

The 2017 Credit Agreement permits the Company to seek increases in the size of the 2017 Revolving Facility and the 2017 Term A Facility prior to maturity by up to $500.0 million in the aggregate, subject to lender commitment and the conditions set forth in the 2017 Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2017, there were $133.9 million in borrowings outstanding under the 2017 Revolving Facility. The remaining amount available for borrowings was $255.0 million (allowing for $11.1 million of letters of credit outstanding on that date).

Senior Unsecured Notes due December 2024

On December 22, 2016, the Company completed a private offering of $400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.25% senior notes due December 2024 (the "New Notes"), which we issued under an indenture, dated December 22, 2016 (the "New Indenture"), among the Company, as issuer, the guarantors named therein (the "Guarantors") and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee. Pursuant to the New Indenture, the Company pays interest on the New Notes semiannually on June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on June 15, 2017.

The New Indenture contains covenants that could limit the ability of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries to, among other things: (i) incur additional indebtedness or issue disqualified stock or, in the case of the Company’s restricted subsidiaries, preferred stock; (ii) create liens; (iii) pay dividends, make certain investments or make other restricted payments; (iv) sell certain assets or merge with or into other companies; (v) enter into transactions with affiliates; and (vi) allow limitations on any restricted subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends, loans, or assets to the Company or other restricted subsidiaries. These covenants are subject to a number of important limitations and exceptions. The New Indenture also provides for events of default, which, if any of them occurs, would permit or require the principal, premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest on all the then outstanding New Notes to be immediately due and payable.

The Company borrowed $73.9 million under its revolving credit facility and applied the funds, together with the net proceeds from the issuance of the New Notes and cash on hand, toward the payment of the redemption price for all of the 6.75% Senior Notes due 2020 (the "Old Notes"). The aggregate redemption price of $531.5 million consisted of principal due and payable on the Old Notes, a "make-whole" call premium of $25.0 million (included in "Other (income) expense, net"), and accrued and unpaid interest of $6.5 million (included in "Interest expense").

Also included in "Other (income) expense, net" in 2016 was a $4.9 million charge for the write-off of debt issuance costs associated with the Old Notes. Additionally, we incurred and capitalized approximately $6.1 million in bank, legal and other fees associated with the issuance of the New Notes in 2016.

Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

During 2016, the Company’s credit facilities were governed by a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated April 28, 2015 (as subsequently amended, the "2015 Credit Agreement"), among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto.

The 2015 Credit Agreement provided for a $600.0 million five-year senior secured credit facility, which consisted of a $300.0 million revolving credit facility (the "2015 Revolving Facility") and a $300.0 million term loan (the "2015 Term Loan A"). Borrowings under the 2015 Credit Agreement were due April 2020.

In connection with the PA Acquisition, effective May 1, 2016, the Company entered into a Second Amendment and Additional Borrower Consent, among the Company, certain guarantor subsidiaries of the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto, which amended the 2015 Credit Agreement. Among other things, the Second Amendment amended the 2015 Credit Agreement to include ACCO Brands Australia Holding Pty. Ltd. ("ACCO Australia Holdings") as a foreign borrower and, together with a related incremental joinder agreement, facilitated borrowings under the 2015 Credit Agreement by ACCO Australia Holdings.

Financing of PA Acquisition

The PA Acquisition, which closed in the second quarter of 2016, was financed through a borrowing under the 2015 Credit Agreement of A$100.0 million (US$76.6 million based on May 2, 2016 exchange rates) by ACCO Australia Holdings in the form of an incremental Australian Dollar Senior Secured Term A loan, along with additional borrowings of A$152.0 million (US$116.4 million based on May 2, 2016 exchange rates) under the 2015 Revolving Facility. The Company used some of the proceeds from the borrowings to reduce the U.S. Dollar Senior Secured Term Loan A due April 2020 by $78.0 million and to pay off the debt assumed in the PA Acquisition of A$32.1 million (US$24.5 million based on May 2, 2016 exchange rates).

Compliance with Loan Covenants

As of and for the periods ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all applicable loan covenants.

Guarantees and Security

Generally, obligations under the 2017 Credit Agreement and the 2015 Credit Agreement are and were guaranteed by certain of the Company's existing and future subsidiaries, and are and were secured by substantially all of the Company's and certain guarantor subsidiaries' assets, subject to certain exclusions and limitations.

The New Notes are irrevocably and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by each of our existing and future domestic subsidiaries other than certain excluded subsidiaries. The New Notes and the related guarantees will rank equally in right of payment with all of the existing and future senior debt of the Company and the guarantors, senior in right of payment to all of the existing and future subordinated debt of the Company and the guarantors, and effectively subordinated to all of the existing and future secured indebtedness of the Company and the guarantors to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The New Notes and the guarantees are and will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities, including trade payables, of each of the Company's subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes.